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Capri, the island of dreams, has been an enchanting oasis since the Roman times. Its proximity to the Amalfi coast, the incomparable beauty of its rugged landscape and deep blue sea, the mildness of its climate and luxuriance of its vegetation have all contributed to its splendour.
From this legendary Italian island, after centuries of isolation, the most seductive perfumes of the Mediterranean have now reached the shores of the continent in the fragrances Carthusia.
The fascinating history of Carthusia originates in 1380 in the monastery of San Giacomo in Capri, when the scent was first created by monks. In that year, in honour of a visit by Queen Joan d’Anjou, the Father Prior of the monastery gathered the most beautiful and fragrant flowers on the island. The water in which the flowers were kept took on such a delicate, exquisite perfume that the Prior, with the help of an alchemist, decided to reproduce it: “Garofilum Silvestre Caprese”, the first perfume from Capri, was born.
The ancient formulas were later re-discovered in 1948 by the monks of the San Giacomo monastery. With the special permission from the Pope, the secret perfume recipes were revealed and recreated in the smallest laboratory in the world, Carthusia.
The tradition now continues and limited production reflects the same methods of distillation used by the Carthusian monks in the past. All the ingredients used are high quality, natural products of the earth. The essences are processed, filtered and wrapped one bottle at a time. Most of the flowers and herbs used in the formulas, such as the wild carnation and rosemary growing on Mount Solaro, are hand-picked in Capri.
From an island bursting with natural ingredients such as oak, amber and wild geranium, Carthusia’s scents are a reminder of the sun-baked earth and evoke memories of the travel and holiday. Eight fragrances: Fiori di Capri, Mediterraneo, Ligea, Io Capri, Aria di Capri, Carthusia Uomo, Via Camerelle and Numero Uno combine romanticism and history in a unique and legendary collection.
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